Surface planing machines



June 3, 1958 W, E, GALE 2,837,130

SURFACE PLANING MACHINES "Ilm ' N 'INVENToR wml-'nso E. GALE- BY MM2 ATTORNEYS June 3, 1958 Filed Deo. 12, 1955 W. E. GALE SURFACE PLANING MACHINIS MLO 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILF'RED E. GALE ATTORNEYS June 3, 1958 Filed Dec. l2, 1955 W. E. GALE SURFACE PLANING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR WILFRED E. GALE v ATTORNEYS United States Patent '2,837,130 SURFACE PLANmG MACHlNEs j Wilfred E. Gale, Horley, England Application December 12, 1955, Serial No. 552,646

Claims priority, application` Great Britain December 14, 1954 t 4 Claims. (Cl. 144-.117)

This invention relates to surface planing-machines, particularly for wood, its object being to provide an attachment permitting the simple and relatively inexpensivetemporary conversion of a surface planing machine into a thicknessing machine.

According to the present invention, a thicknessing attachment for surface planing machines comprises a mounting adapted to be secured on the usual verticallyadjustable feed-in table of the planing machine, a horizontal overhead table carried on the mounting and adapted to be positioned such that a work piece held against the overhead table may be passed between the overhead table and the usual cutter during the cutting operation, and means for keeping the work piece pressed upwardly against the overhead table.

The mounting is preferably vertically adjustable with respect to the feed-in table to permit adjustment to accommodate variations in the dimensions of existing mounting blocks, whilst to permit coarse adjustment between the overhead and feed-in tables, according to the thickness of stock or work piece used, the overhead table is advantageously vertically adjustable on the mounting.

In a convenient construction, the means for keeping the Work piece pressed upwardly against the overhead table include a spring blade carried by the mounting, and this blade may be engaged at one end with a support bar on the mounting and extend along below the overhead table in the direction of feed of the work piece, the blade being adjustable on the support bar for centering with respect to the work piece.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an attachment according to the invention shown mounted in position on a common type of planing machine, only the usual vertically adjustable feed-in ltable, the planing table, and the cutter cylinder of the latter being illustrated as the remainder of the apparatus is well known in the art and does not form a part of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 is an elevation viewed from the right hand end of Fig. l.

In these figures, 1 denotes the usual vertically-adjustable feed in table whilst 2 denotes the usual adjustable planing table. The feed-in table 1 is slidably mounted on an inclined bed 24. A threaded rod 25 is secured non-rotatably in the bed and carries a threaded sleeve 26 with hand Wheel 27. A peripheral groove in lthe sleeve 26 receives the vertical wall 28 of the table 1, so that by rotating the wheel 27 in the appropriate direction the table can be adjusted vertically Within limits. An index finger 29 fixed on the bed coacts with a scale 30 on the side wall 31 of the table 1 to indicate the vertical position of adjustment of the table 1. 3 denotes a representative cutter cylinder, arranged to be driven by any suitable means in the direction of the arrow. On such ice y f right hand side of the feed-in table, viewed in the direction of travel of the work piece, a fence against which the work piece can be held and slid to ensure a correct longitudinal feed. Such fences are commonly mounted on the feed-in table 1 either by having one or more posts which can be inserted into corresponding holes in the table 1 (or a block thereon) or by the provision of a block on the table 1 to which the fence is otherwise attached. In the embodiment illustrated, a representative block 4 is shown as mounted rigidly on the table 1, and the usual fence has been removed to permit mounting of the attachment of the present invention 'in its place. This mounting is elected by means of a horizontal shaft 5 inserted into a bore in the block 4, this shaft being carried on an eccentric journal 6 which can be rotated by a lever 7 to provide fine adjustment of the height of the attachment as a whole relative to the table l. Thejournal 6 is received in a bore in a split block 8 with tight ening screw 9 and handle 10. In the block 8 is mounted rigidly a vertical pillar 11 serving to carry, in verticallyA adjustable manner, a boss 12 which is split in known` head table 15 against which the work piece 16 of stock.

material is pressed upwardly during operation, by means. to be described hereinafter. Rearwardly from the block 8 extends a rigid support bar 17 having at its rear end a fixed sleeve member 18 carryingl two pins 19 and 21D.. On pin 20 is engaged the end loopof a blade spring 2li which extends along the central longitudinaltaxis of theI tables in the direction of feed to a point approximately opposite the pillar 11. This spring blade is shown under' tension in the drawing and serves to press the work piece- 16 upwardly against the table 15. Preferably, and as.

shown, the initial curvature of the spring 21 is arranged' such that when under tension it becomes substantially parallel to the work piece and the table 1, Whereby'the chance of shavngs becoming jammed between the various members is substantially eliminated.

v The mounting of the spring blade, and the nature of the loop thereon engaged about pin 19, are arranged such that the blade may be swung over -to the right in Fig. 1 so to hang down on its pin 19. In this position, neither of the two mounting pins 19, 20, nor any part of the blade 21 is then above the level of the feed-in table so that the attachment need not be removed from the machine when the latter is to be used as an ordinary surface planer. For this latter purpose, the overhead table would also be swung round horizontally on its pillar 11 so as to be also out of the way. So as to conveniently form afence, in view Vof the removal of the normal fence, the mounting block 8 and pillar 11 have a common plane surface. Similarly the front face of the sleeve 18 is also aligned with the mounting block and pillar, again to constitute a fence. By virtue of the provision for swinging clear the blade and overhead table, and by making the block, pillar and sleeve replace the normal fence, the attachment can be left permanently on the machine without substantially impairing its use as a surface planer in the normal way.

In operation the stock material is pushed between the overhead table 15 and the spring 2l. In order to ensure, before commencing operation, that there shall be sufficient room for insertion of the stock material, a rough height setting of the overhead table, with respect to the table 1, is obtained by virtue of the scale 22 on the pillar 11, on which a reading is obtained with a pointer 23 on the boss 12 of the overhead table 15. Once the overhead table 15 is adjusted in this manner, it need not be altered again for the same thickness of stock material,

and vertical adjustment of the stock with respect to the cutter cylinder 3 is obtained by verticaladjustment of the I fed-in planing of table 1, with the normal. vertical adjustment means for the planing machine.

Such an attachment permits the simple conversion of a normal surface planing machine into a thicknessingvv machine, whereas hitherto, for carrying out both. these operations, it has been necessary to provide a relatively very much more costly machine. The only point of connection between the attachment and the existing planing machine is the mounting of the pillar 11 on the vnormal feed-in table l, and in practice there is always some provision already existing for the mounting of a fence, so that the attachment `need vonly be provided with corresponding mounting means to replace the fence.

I claim:

1. A thicknessing attachment for a surface planing machine having a vertically adjustable feed-.in table, a cutter cylinder and aplaning table, which comprises, an overhead table, means for pivotally supporting said'overhead table on the feed-in table so that said overhead' table may be selectively disposed above saidtplaning` machine in operative position. during the thickness cutting operation or laterally outwardly ofthefeed-in table in operative position, and means for pressing a workpiece upwardly against said overhead table during the thickness cutting operation.

2. A thicknessingl attachment for a surface planing machine having a vertically adjustable feed-in table, a cutter cylinderV and a planing table, which comprises, an overhead table, means for pivotally supporting said overhead table on the feed-n tableso that said overhead table may be selectively disposed above said planing machine in operative position during the thickness cutting operation or laterally outwardly of the feed-in table in inoperative position, a spring blade and means for pivotally supporting said spring blade relative to the feed-in table so that said spring blade may he selectively disposed in operative position to-press a work piece upwardly against said overhead table during the thickness cutting operation or laterally outwardly of the feed-in tablein inoperative. position.

3. In a surface planing machine having a vertically adjustable feed-in table, a cutter cylinder and a planing table, a thicknessing attachment therefor which cornprises, an overhead table, a mounting attached to said feed-in table, the said mounting including a pillar for supporting said overhead table and against which mounting a work piece may be held for passing between said overhead table and the cutter cylinder during the cutting operation and a spring blade secured to said feed-in tabler for keeping the work piece pressed upwardly againstsaid overhead table, the said overhead -table being pivotally supported by said mountingv and being adapted for swinging movement laterally outwardly of the feed-in table when not in use.

4. in a surface planing machine having a vertically adjustable feed-in table, a cutter cylinder and a planing table, a thicknessing attachment therefor which comprises, an overhead table, means for pivotally supporting said` overhead table on said feed-in table whereby a work piece may be passed between said overhead tabler and the cutter cylinder during` the thickness cutting operation and whereby said overhead table may be turned outwardly of said feed-in table at otherA times, a spring blade and means for pivotally securing said spring blade to` said" feed-in table whereby said spring blade may keep the work piece pressed upwardly against said overhead table during the thickness cutting operation and. whereby said' spring, blade may be turned outwardlyof said feed-in' table at other times.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 14, *192;7'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F 'CORRECTION Patent No., 2,837,130 June 3, 1958 Wilfred E; Gale It is herebjf certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above "I tumbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3 line' 24, for "operative" read inoperative-m.

Signed and sealed this 14th day of October 1958.

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL EL, MINE ROBERT C. WATSON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Ocer 

